Cellini Prosecutors Rest Shakedown Case

Prosecutors have rested their case against the millionaire political insider William Cellini.

Cellini is accused of helping Tony Rezko and Chris Kelly extort a campaign contribution for Rod Blagojevich from Tom Rosenberg, a movie producer who also had a financial company that did business with the state.

In 2004, some business was being held up and Rosenberg asked Cellini to find out what was going on. Cellini got back to Rosenberg and said Rezko and Kelly were holding the state business until Rosenberg made a contribution to the former governor.

Cellini insists he was not an part of a conspiracy to extort the contribution. He was just relaying information about what he was hearing.

On the stand, Rosenberg said he had warned Cellini many times that Rezko and Kelly were crooked and he shouldn't deal with them but he also said that Cellini never asked him to contribute to any politician during the 30 years the two have known each other.